Independent retailers have helped Camelot to its best ever year of sales.

The National Lottery operator reported a 12.1% increase in sales in the 12 months to March 31, 2012, compared to the previous year.

In-store sales of draw-based games and National Lottery Scratchcards grew by over 9% to a record £5.1bn in 2011/12, up from £4.9bn in 2010/11.

This marks another year of growth for Camelot. It has grown total National Lottery sales by 35% since the start of its second lottery licence in 2002 and increased player numbers by over 12% in the last five years.

Sales director Duncan Malyon thanked retailers for their hard work. “It’s the result of a great team effort, both within Camelot and across our entire retail estate, that has now seen sales and player numbers grow steadily over the last 10 years,” he said. “However, we never take success for granted and are determined to build on the fantastic efforts of our retailers.”

Camelot also praised its retail partners for their “significant role” in helping the company achieve its target of raising £750 million for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games from sales of specially-designated lottery games.